The present invention relates generally to drapery carrying devices and methods.
While numerous alternatives exist to address the various problems faced with traverse rod assemblies used for hanging draperies, these assemblies continue to be cumbersome and labor intensive. In particular, drapery rod and track systems typically require manual installation of individual drapery carriers and other suspension components within a track or rod with a semi-enclosed cross section so the assembly can be installed allowing the drapery to hang in a functional and decorative manner. Considering the wide array of drapery configurations and track installation requirements that must be dealt with by manufacturers and fabricators, the track construction process can be very labor intensive. Fabricators are burdened with counting out the individual carriers needed and installing them individually into a track. Certain style carriers must be installed in certain orientation, it is further burdensome for the fabricator to turn and orient each carrier. Furthermore, the packaging of the carriers from the original manufacturer can create issues with the preparation, counting and the installing of the carriers. For example, the use of rigid carrying devices may cause difficulty in separating the carriers from the packaging upon installation. Additionally, a rigid carrying device might be more challenging to transport in bulk and thereby limits the number of carriers that can be included within a given package.
Accordingly, these and other concerns show there remains a need for a method and apparatus that allow for convenient transport and installation of drapery suspension and carrying components.